No traces of Cronobacter have been found at the Mead Johnson infant formula plant and there is no need for a product recall, said US safety bodies last week as part of an investigation into four babies infected with the bacteria – two of whom have died.
Chinese authorities have recalled cooking oil products made by three companies after finding they contained the same type of cancer-causing toxin recently found in milk, state media said Thursday.
A product safety watchdog in the southern province of Guangdong suspended operations at plants owned by the firms, which made oil containing excessive levels of aflatoxin, caused by mould.
The incident comes after leading dairy firm Mengniu revealed at the weekend that authorities found high levels of aflatoxin in a batch of milk before it was sold, caused by cows eating mouldy feed at a farm in southwest China.
Aflatoxins, which affect grains and other agricultural products, can increase the risk of cancer, including liver cancer, according to the World Health Organisation.
The oil was made from peanuts, Xinhua said, naming the producers as Fusheng Oil, Manyi Peanut Oil and Mabao Oil.
It was not known if any of the tainted oil had reached consumers, it added.
Based on test results to date, there is no need for a recall of infant formula and parents may continue to use powdered infant formula, following the manufacturer’s directions on the printed label.
The ongoing investigation includes laboratory testing of various types and brands of powdered infant formula, nursery water and, when available, clinical samples from the infants. The investigation also includes the inspection of manufacturing facilities for infant formula and nursery water.
The following results have been confirmed from completed laboratory tests, although additional lab results are pending release:
The FDA has inspected the facilities that manufactured the infant formula and the nursery water that tested positive for Cronobacter bacteria. Those manufacturers have programs that test their products before they are distributed. The lots in question were tested and found negative for Cronobacter. There is currently no evidence to conclude that the infant formula or nursery water was contaminated during manufacturing or shipping.
The FDA, CDC and state agencies continue to investigate the cause of the infections using epidemiological and laboratory methods. Currently CDC and FDA laboratories are testing infant formula, water and other environmental samples related to the ill infants from Illinois and Oklahoma; the results are pending. Additional steps include: completion of inspections of manufacturers, additional laboratory testing of samples, and additional DNA fingerprinting investigation.
A third infant in the United States has tested positive for the infection that led to the death of one infant, sickened another and spurred a probe of baby formula, including Enfamil by Mead Johnson Nutrition Co.
A baby in Oklahoma tested positive for Cronobacter, a bacteria that has sometimes been linked to rare illnesses in newborns and has been found in milk-based powdered baby formula.
The baby had not consumed Enfamil formula, according to Leslea Bennett-Webb of the Oklahoma Department of Health. The baby, less than a month old, has been treated and discharged from the hospital, she said.
This is a third Cronobacter case in recent weeks, after a baby in Missouri died and another child is now recovering in Illinois, both confirmed to have been infected with Cronobacter.
Tyson Fresh Meats Inc., a Dakota City, Neb. establishment, is recalling approximately 40,948 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)
The following products are subject to recall:
The products subject to recall have a “BEST BEFORE OR FREEZE BY” date of “11/13/11” and “EST. 245C” on the box label. The products were shipped to institutions and distributors in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
The problem was discovered through routine FSIS monitoring which confirmed a positive result for E. coli O157:H7. FSIS and the company have received no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of these products.
Posted in E.coli, E.coli O157, Food Hygiene, Food Poisoning, Food Safety Alert, Microbiology, Recall
Posted in Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Testing, Histamine, Recall
